Under the Gables Volume XV, Number 4 Spring-Summer 2008

Announcing an all-new exhibit:

The Peninsula in Pictures A companion exhibit to a new book by Carola DeRooy and Dewey Livingston featuring photographs from the Jack Mason Museum and Point Reyes National Seashore Archives

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: 150 Years of Ranching History Inverness’ Last Telephone Operator Gold Mines and Oil Wells at Point Reyes? Jack Mason Museum of History Inverness Way at Park Avenue, Inverness Phone 415-669-1099 150 Years of Ranching History This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Shafter family take- JACK MASON over of the Point Reyes Peninsula. In 1858, the courts decided in favor MUSEUM COMMITTEE of Point Reyes claimant Robert McMillan whose attorneys included the brothers Oscar Lovell Shafter and Robert Kroninger, Chair James McMillan Shafter. The pre- Henry Buckingham vious year the Shafters had begun Dian Carpenter planning development of the vast Meg Linden tract, but not until the court deci- Dewey Livingston sion and subsequent transfer from Vivian Mazur McMillan to the Shafter law firm Scotty Mendoza did they begin creating a world- Michael Mery famous “butter rancho” that, 150 years later, remains a significant Maidee Moore national resource. Ann Read The Shafters and Oscar’s Sandy Studdert son-in-law Charles Webb How- ard (who, in his own right, was a ADVISORY COMMITTEE prominent and controversial figure in ) took full control Sue Baty of the holdings and developed an Mary & Ken Cardwell organized tenant dairy system that James McMillan Shafter later in life Carola DeRooy by 1870 was considered to be pos- with his granddaughters who grew up in David Donlon sibly the greatest dairy ranch in the Olema. He died in 1892. David Elliott country. Labeling the ranches with Linda Mendoza the letters of the alphabet (A Ranch Connie Morse near the lighthouse to Z Ranch near the summit of Mt. Wittenberg) and Kathy Munger selecting hard-working dairymen as operators, the Shafter butter became famous as a top quality product. Kery Rose Many of the historic dairy ranches remain in operation within Point Marcia Strom Reyes National Seashore, and have been declared eligible to the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district. While the Shafter fam- HONORARY MEMBER ily sold the last of the tenant ranches in 1939, descendants still live in Barbara Mason McClellan the Point Reyes area. The surge in food production in West Marin is a testament to the hard work of the tenants and the great dairy industry spawned on the Point Reyes Peninsula 150 years ago. THE JACK MASON MUSEUM OF WEST MARIN HISTORY IS AN AFFILIATE OF THE INVERNESS FOUNDATION

Editor & Layout: Dewey Livingston

Co-Editor: Dian Carpenter

Editorial Assistant: Michael Mery

E Ranch, operated for 40 years by tenant Henry Claussen and now by the Nunes family. 2 Inverness’ last telephone operator: Genelle Williams Matthews

By Mi c h a e l Me r y Genelle had met Walt Matthews, Jr., in high school and they were married in 1951 when Ha s k e l l Wi l l i a m s , his wife Mettie and daughters Genelle was 20. The Mathews family moved to Genelle and Glenda moved to Inverness in 1947 Inverness in 1946 when Walt, Sr., was transferred at the urging of Haskell’s brother who lived in from Long Island, NY, to the RCA receiving station First Valley. Brother Lonnie thought that the on the Point. (RCA was the largest employer in employment opportunities were much better the area at the time.) Our local service was deeply than in Mercedes, Texas, near Brownsville, so the personal – “Isabelle, would you hold my calls second Williams family moved west in search of and tell people to call back? I’m going to take a a better life. nap for an hour or so and will call you when I’m Glenda was a high school Junior and enrolled awake. Thanks very much.” There were two in along with most of the local high school age kids. Haskell found work very soon after arriving – he became one of the local telephone opera- tors. The switchboard was in a basement room at the Inverness Lodge – what we know, or knew, as Manka’s. At the time, it was owned by the Richardson family who had purchased it a couple of years earlier from Nels Johnson and his wife, the original owners. Mettie, Haskell’s wife, soon went to work on the switchboard with Haskell finding employment with Marin County as a member of the local road mainte- nance crew headed by Frank Giubbini, a First Valley resident where he lived with his wife and daughter Isabelle. By this time, Isabelle was already a telephone operator and first Mettie, then Genelle, became part of our local branch of P (Pacific) T&T. kinds of phone service, private lines (pricey) and This was several years before dial phones made party lines with four homes being serviced by one their appearance when we lost the very personal number. If, for example, your number was 90 and service Mettie, Isabelle and Genelle, including you had a party line, you would have 90W, J, R or various relief operators, provided local residents M. The number of times the phone rang indicated with very personal service. My family’s number who should pick up – 1 ring for 90W, 2 for 90J and was 70, for example. So Genelle went to work so forth. As you might guess, lots of chances to full time in 1948. Isabelle was the head operator listen in unless the parties talking heard the telltale and worked days, Genelle worked swing shift click when the eavesdropper might hear “who just and Mettie worked graveyard, as shift word was picked up? This isn’t your call, so hang up!” called. The relief operators included Lee Richard- An average workday, six days per week, eight son, Mildred Spicer, Dorothy Meloney and Juanita, hours per day, for Genelle was arriving just before Genelle’s aunt. 4 p.m. to take over, taking calls “with a smile,” 3 emphasized by PT&T and even more so when hour. (In 2007 dollars, that translates in purchas- AT&T took over. A volunteer fire department was ing power of $5.25 and $14.26.) Walt and Genelle established in the early 1940s and if there was a were married in 1951 and after Walt returned from fire call, the operator called the lead fireman Kelly the Korean War, they moved to Mill Valley since Giambastiani who had the county truck (long Walt enrolled in S.F. State. Genelle went to work before the fire station in Pt. Reyes Station) and at the Marin Independent Journal answering phones, then the volunteers – Earl Reid, Lloyd Mery, Don taking ads, etc., for a dollar an hour. AT&T was a Ableseth and others who met much better employer. About 1950, the exchange at the firehouse very much then Former Inverness resident George as it is today. Kelly lived right Moorhead recalled in 1978: was moved from The Lodge up the street so the location to a small building behind the was perfect. A few years later, “During the depression the [tele- Guibbini’s house. Isabelle was a siren was installed on Perth phone] company asked its employ- married to Branson Peppers Way and that helped – the op- ees to try and sign up new subscrib- about this time – he came to ers. Most people were interested erators were gone replaced by Inverness in the Army during only if we could give them 24 hour dial phones. service, which could not be done WWII – and the senior Guib- The operators also had conveniently at the [Inverness] store, binis helped them build a the responsibility of deliver- where the switchboard was. So the house next door when Isabelle ing telegrams. The head of- board was moved to Nels Johnson’s and Peppers lived for close to fice would call in the name Inverness Lodge. 60 years. They are both gone “At first Nels slept on a cot by the of the recipient and the text, now, but many remember switchboard to take care of night the operator would transcribe calls of which there were few. Later, them well. the telegram then deliver it to operators were hired to help out.” Genelle’s last work with the recipient. (I wonder how AT&T was in the transisiton many people tipped!) Genelle from our local phones to dial told me that the hardest part phones when our number, for of her job, one that fell to the instance, changed from 70 to swing shift operator, was to Normandy 9-1171. Pt. Reyes call someone who hadn’t paid Numbers because Mohawk their bill that there service was 3-1171 or what ever the num- being interrupted. The reason ber might’ve been. Modernity for this being the swing shift had arrived, faster, more ef- responsibility was that the ficient, perhaps cheaper. Not PT&T/AT&T office closed at better, however. 5PM and if the bill wasn’t paid Genelle and Walt are long on the last possible day, the retired and live in Brookings, operator would get a call. “Go Oregon, less than a block tell so and so that because of from the ocean. They have the unpaid bill, they no longer PO Box address just as Walt had service.” Swing shift starts and Genelle did as kids in In- at 4PM so the day operator was verness. According to Genelle, “off the hook.” it’s nearly as quiet there and it During these early years, both Genelle and was here 60 years ago. They have three grown her mother walked to work from the head of First children, eight grandchildren and three great Valley to the Lodge, as it was called, no thought of grandchildren. Haskell died a in the 1980s and driving what ever the hour or time of year. When Mettie just died last year at age 97. Genelle is just Genelle started her wages were 67 cents per hour as friendly and open as she was as a 19 year old, the and when she quit in 1954 they were $1.86 per “friendly voice” being natural and easy for her. 4 1889 Jack Mason Museum of West Marin History 2008 ONCE AGAIN, IT’S TIME TO TURN BACK THE CLOCK Join Us for an Old-fashioned Cookout at CAMP AZULIKIT

HOME COOKIN’: BARBECUED RIBS

“MENDOZA BEANS” STEP INTO THEOF FAMILY PAST FOR FUN: AN EVENING Outdoors GARLIC BREAD SALAD Music performed by local groups and on the APPLE PIE a sing along led by emcee Carrick McLaughlin Slide show by Dewey Livingston Inverness Prizes for costumes. Green! Get out your 1889 camp clothes! FRIDAY, AUGUST 29, 6-9 pm CAMP AZULIKIT is a benefit for the Jack Mason Museum’s programs to preserve West Marin history. Space is limited. Members have priority registration before tickets go on sale to the general community on August 1.

Call Meg Linden at 663-1488 or send your check soon to: Jack Mason Museum, P.O. Box 94, Inverness CA 94937

ADULTS $35, KIDS 12 & UNDER $15, UNDER 5 FREE EXCERPTS FROM Geology of the Point Reyes Peninsula, Marin County, California

by Alan J. Galloway Bulletin 202, California Division of Mines and Geology, 1977

Pages 63-66: ECONOMIC GEOLOGY through which they washed the dirt from the ravine, realizing $15.00 to the hand for a day’s work. Where Coal and Peat they worked is only accessible at low tide. We would not counsel a rush of over ten In the last half of the 19th century, before thousand miners to the new abundant oil was discovered, strenuous efforts were diggings” being made in California to locate supplies of coal as a substitute for wood for fuel. Two explorations Munro-Fraser (1880, p. GOLD for coal on Point Reyes Peninsula were reported. 311) says, The first one was on the Nelson Olds (now Boyd “At there Stewart) Ranch near Olema, where a prospecting is a place called Gold gulch, tunnel 325 feet long was dug in 1875 (Marin Journal, where sluices were put in and November 8, 1875). The location is in the lakebeds placer mining carried on quite of the Olema Creek Formation (Pleistocene?) which extensively in 1885-66, and the are very peaty. These peaty beds can be seen in the yield averaged two dollars and SCHEELITE roadcut on the east side of State Highway 1, just a half a day to the man. It is a south of the entrance to the Boyd Stewart Ranch. fine flake dust, hence much of it Parker (1893) mentions specimens of “coal” was lost. Lack of water caused from the banks of Pine Gulch Creek near Bolinas. them to abandon the enter- Watts (1893) mentions that “some prospecting for prise. There are also quartz OIL coal has been done about 2 miles north of Bolinas, lodes here that promise well. on the McGovern Ranch. No coal, however is in Seven assays averaged of gold sight, the formation exposed being a dark colored thirty dollars and eighty-three shale.” This prospect hole, excavated in dark gray- cents and of silver fifty four black Monterey Shale on the bank of Pine Creek dollars and ten cents.” Gulch, is still referred to as “the coal mine” by nearby ranchers. Trask (1856, p. 13) writes that “at Point Tomales on the Gold west shore of the bay, gold also abounds but in small The Petaluma Journal and Argus of February 15, quantity. It is found about one 1868, has the following lively description of a gold mile from the northern end of discovery on Tomales Point: the point, near the settlements The late Tomales Point rancher Dave “There was quite an excitement created by the on that shore.” Irelan (1888, McClure once told a friend that during discovery of gold on the beach at Pierce’s Point, p. 342)reports “on the ocean which forms the southern shore at the entrance side of Tomales Point occurs the early 1940s there was a fellow of . Some men from Preston’s Point a deposit of auriferous black panning for gold on the point, utilizing a crossed over to the place above named to gather sand. It can only be reached at sluice box and water from a spring. mussels, and one of them while drinking from a low tide...” Ver Planck (1955) brook that came down from the bluff, discovered mentions a prospect shaft, The man found enough gold at the remote some scale gold. Procuring a pan, they got good probably sunk for gold, near canyon to “make a little living out of it.” prospects, which induced them to construct a sluice, Willow Point on Tomales Bay.

6 The oil seep was apparently big enough to cook fish on when lighted.

These occurrences apparently were not sufficiently gas seep visible at low tide. large to encourage further exploration and nothing Attracted by the oil and gas seepages along the more is known of them today. However, panning coast near Duxbury Point and Arroyo Hondo, and the streams and beaches near these localities might encouraged by the discovery of oil in Humboldt yield interesting results. (Landowner’s permission County, the Arroyo Hondo Petroleum Company, would, of course, be required.) backed by George T. Hearst and others, drilled a shallow wildcat well at the mouth of the Arroyo Petroleum Honda in 1865. At the same time another well was drilled by the Bolinas Petroleum Company, on the Abundant signs of pe- point at the entrance of Bolinas Bay. Enthusiasm troleum are present on the ran high, and the Petroleum Hotel was established Point Reyes Peninsula, but no at Bolinas, but no oil in commercial quantity was commercial production has found. The wells were very shallow, not over 400 been established. Along the feet in depth, and no information is available on beaches and cliffs between their findings.... Duxbury Point and Double From 1900 to 1906, there was more oil explora- Point, oil-filled joints are tion with two or three wells drilled in the vicinity of conspicuous in the Monterey Duxbury Point, on the Garzoli Ranch. The casing of SCHEELITE Shale, and thick tar and oil- one well can still be seen (1977, ed.) sticking out of sands occur at the Miocene- the cliff at the intersection of Rosewood Road and Pliocene contact from south Ocean Parkway on the Bolinas Mesa. These unsuc- Double Point northward to cessful wells were about 2,000 feet in depth and one Bear Valley. The sandstone was drilled to 2,800 feet and reportedly produced a dikes which are common in few barrels of heavy oil per day from the Monterey this vicinity are often bitu- Shale. The report of this small production does minous. A spectacular gas not seem improbable in view of the oil filled joints COAL seep in the Duxbury Point and historic gas seep at this location. Another shal- area was reported by Holder low dry hole was drilled at this time near Arroyo COAL (1893), the Marin Journal, Jan. Hondo. 5, 1893), Crawford (1896), In the 1950’s another group of wells was drilled. St. Amant (1905), Bingham Several of these were relatively deep and were lo- OIL (1906), Douglas and Rhoades cated with the aid of careful geological work, but (1915), and Bradley (1915). again, none was successful. This seep, which appar- Although indications of petroleum are abun- ently was big enough to cook dant, the presence of a good reservoir bed is ques- fish on when lighted, is not tionable. The thick oil sands near Double Point are The late Tomales Point rancher Dave evident today. Judging from probably of local occurrence.... McClure once told a friend that during the descriptions, it probably emerged from a joint-plane Scheelite the early 1940s there was a fellow fissure in the Monterey Shale. panning for gold on the point, utilizing a Erosion of the cliff has doubt- Scheelite, a tungsten mineral associated with sluice box and water from a spring. less resulted in the seep now limestone roof-pendants in the granitic rock, has being covered by the sea and been found at the Noren and Bender localities on The man found enough gold at the remote beach. Further north, near the west side of Inverness Ridge. Neither has any canyon to “make a little living out of it.” Double Point, the writer has commerecial importance under the present [1974] observed an active oil and economic conditions.

7 The Point Reyes Peninsula in Pictures Celebrating a new book by Carola DeRooy and Dewey Livingston A new volume in Arcadia Publishing Company’s “Images of America” Series

Longtime museum committee members Carola DeRooy and Dewey Livingston have produced a book that showcases historical photographs of Point Reyes, Olema, Inverness and Point Reyes Station, utilizing the museum collection and the park’s archives. Carola is the professional archivist at Point Reyes National Seashore, and Dewey has been writing about West Marin history for 25 years. Herewith is a sampling from the book, which goes on sale in July.

Federico (Fred) Genazzi, a native of Switzerland, played songs from the old country. The Point Reyes area changed with the times as the 20th century marked the passing of many of the original immigrants. Their sons and daughters took on American ways, including names, and worked to modernize their dairy ranches. Some left for other occupations in town, or took on larger dairy ranches in the central valley. (Seth Wood photo) 8 Train passengers could be met by a stage at Point Reyes Station and transported to the numerous attractions of the area. Here, a group of women and a lone man have chosen bicycles as their mode of exploring Point Reyes. The building is the original two-story Point Reyes depot.

Organized recreational opportunities included a major Boy Scout camp in Second Valley at Inverness during the 1920s. The troop, from Napa County, commandeered a large field where they set up tents, a canteen, a flagpole, and marching ground. They used this location as a starting off point for long hikes. Later the camp moved to Bear Valley.

9 The Point Reyes Peninsula is remote, despite the relatively short distance, “as the crow flies,” to San Francisco. Early settlers relied on the water to get to and from San Francisco, and the little, agile butter schooners flitted up and down the coast like jitneys. If the local resident had the patience (or was susceptible to seasickness), they took the long and rough overland route to the city, which still required crossing on a boat!

The Point Reyes Life-Saving Station was manned by six to eight “surfmen” and a keeper. Their well- equipped government boathouse featured the latest in life-saving apparatus, including a “lifecar” hanging in the upper right, which could be pulled through the surf with shipwreck victims safe inside.

10 JACK MASON MUSEUM MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

Nancy & Bob Anderson Philip Goetz Eve Anne & Richard Pearson Glenice & Larz Anderson Sharon & Jim Grant Lou & Paul Phelps Jan & Dick Aston Martha & Mark Greenough Leslie & Richard Plant Connie Barnett Lorell & Morley Hardaker Joanne & Bill Prieu Jean & Jim Barnett Virginia & Richard Havel Ann & Jim Read Sue & David Baty Patricia Healy Robert Reeves Carroll & Charles Beckett Susanna Henderson Sue Flagg & Carlo Rocca Bobbie & Jim Belvel Sandra & Wade Holland Kery Rose Virginia Blewett Richard Jenevein Barbara Heenan & Mark St. John Bob Blitzer & Xenry Winonah Kondolf Doris Allen & Nancy Sakellar Maureen & Joseph Blumenthal Marjorie & Kenneth Krause Lee & Frank Seidner Turalu & Joe Brady Jane & Mark Kriss Gene Serr Rita & Frank Braun Mary & Robert Kroninger Joan & Stanley Siddle Janice & Henry Buckingham Beatrice & Robert Laws Evvy Eisen & Wesley Sokolosky Celia & Christopher Burdick Meg Linden Jean & Bob Soost Frances Burnette Susan & Daniel Lindheim Katherine Ramage & Richard Spohn Lisa & John Callagy Kerry & Dewey Livingston Elizabeth D. Stahr Dian Carpenter Vivian Masur Sandy Studdert Susan & Joseph Cerny Barbara & Bryan McCarthy Marcia & Jerry Strom Sonny Cheda Barbara Mason McClellan Donna & Peter Svirsky Pat & Ben Davis Arlene & Ron McClure Thelma & Ernie Taron Carola DeRooy Paula & Tim McGowan Winifred Tarpey Ann Dewart Scotty & Joe Mendoza Catherine & Maurice Suzanne & David Donlon Linda & Joe Mendoza, Jr. Marguerite Taylor Belinda & Michael Durrie Connie & Michael Mery Irene Teixeira Bill Eastman/Bishop Pine Fund David Mitchell Peggy & Dick Valentine Barbara & Don Eastman Jacquelyn Moritz Susan & John Van Der Wal Gail & Mark Edwards Julie & Jim Monson Jeanne Vilicich David Elliott Maidee Moore Tanis Walters Ann & Ken Emanuels Margaret & Doug Moore Norma Wells Claire & Fred Emanuels Robin Moore Judy & Rick Weiss Roger Emanuels Connie & Dan Morse Deborah Whitney Ann Gessert & Raul Gallyot Laura & Bill Mosely Lois Whitney Barbara & Tom Gaman Kathy Munger Barbara & Michael Whitt Margaret & Jim Gault Betty Nunes Mary Wilkinson Dean & Robert Giacomini Vera & Richard Olmsted

11 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Non-Profit Org. US Postage Jack Mason Museum of West Marin History PAID P. O. Box 94 Permit No. 5 Inverness, CA 94937 Inverness, CA 94937

CAMP AZULIKIT IS BACK! Museum members have priority in reserving tickets, so act soon! SEE DETAILS ON PAGE 5

The Point Reyes Peninsula in Pictures An exhibit celebrating a new book by Carola DeRooy and Dewey Livingston

A new volume in Arcadia Publishing Company’s “Images of America” Series OPENING RECEPTION AT THE FOURTH OF JULY RACES